Mumbai: The nationwide strike had a limited impact in Mumbai on Monday, with most services functioning normally. Employees from Maharashtra's power sector utilities joined the strike despite the threat of action against them but they had extensive negotiations with the state's power minister, Nitin Raut. Besides, employees from state-owned banks and insurers, and old private sector lenders converged at Azad Maidan. In a statement, the Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation said that 5,000 employees attended the protest.
Devidas Tuljapurkar, general secretary of the Maharashtra State Banking Employees Federation, said the workers will assemble for a protest at Horniman Circle in South Mumbai on Tuesday morning and will form a human chain.
Ahead of the strike, the city-headquartered SBI, also the country's largest lender, had warned customers of some inconveniences. Volume data from clearing houses and cash replenishment at automated teller machines (ATMs) was not available, though the striking employees claimed that they had a deep impact.
Meanwhile, banking and public transport services were thrown out of gear in West Bengal and Kerala on Monday as thousands of workers began their two-day nationwide strike against various policies of the government. While essential services mostly remained unaffected, banking services in different parts of the country were partially impacted and there were reports of workers staging protests at several places across states. Electricity and fuel supplies remained unaffected but unions claimed the agitation has had an impact in coal mining belts in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
In West Bengal, normal life was hit with protesters blocking roads and stopping movement of trains at some stations. State road transport buses as well as autorickshaws and private buses were off the road in Kerala but essential services, including supply of milk, hospital and ambulance services were not affected.
Public transport services were hit in Haryana as employees of state roadways joined the two-day nationwide strike. Thousands of workers of state-owned SAIL, RINL and NMDC also joined the nationwide strike, affecting production at steel plants and mines.
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